Finding Fingers and Coos

This is Benjamin's first Christmas! We've set up our tree and hung our stockings. Benjamin loooves looking at the lights on the tree! His eyes are wide and he goes into a calm "I'm soaking all of this up" sort of mode. It's so sweet.



Underneath the Zilker "tree"



Admiring our 2010 Christmas tree



We brought him to see the Zilker Tree since he likes lights, but it was rather chilly and windy so we didn't stay long. He just stared at the lights and people. I dont know if he was too cold to smile or overwhelmed but he didn't cry or even fuss. He was fast asleep in the car on the way home though!



Peaceful Nap



Recently he's really discovered his hands. Looking at them, inspecting. Trying to get them all in his mouth, and touching them together. It's really cute.

He's started getting the hang of hand-eye coordination in reaching for our faces and his toys.



Babbling to the froggy friends.



He's also exploring his voice! He talks when Rob and I are talking to each other, talking to him, and he even talks to his bumper and his toys! Its so cute to hear his little coos and babbles! I laid him down for a nap the other day and he had turned his head, put his thumb in his mouth and started talking to the frogs on his bumper. It was so adorable!



Tummy Time



We've tried to practice "tummy time" a little every day and it seems it's starting to pay off!

One morning we were relaxing in bed and Ben rolled on his side from his back all by himself, and then over to his tummy! Of course, once he got to his tummy he wasn't very happy but he rolled over at 2.5mos old!







Benjamin and Alistair

We had an early Christmas with Skye, Nate and Alistair and the boys got to know each other a little more! They both got new books and I think Alistair taught Benjamin to use his voice a little more because ever since our little man has been talking a bit more!



This Christmas Eve we noticed a lot more drool and the need to gnaw. I think he's started teething! Exactly 3 months old, and he's getting his first tooth!  We're coping. Trying to get him to chew on a cold wet washcloth or his binky instead of his fingers- as that seems to hurt a bit. And because it's Christmas weekend, the doctors and stores are all closed, so we just had to do the best with what we had!
   I want to try to get a good video of him babbling on here, but I think he's gotten a little camera shy! Hopefully I can catch him soon!

Month Deux

So I'm a little late posting this, but Benjamin is 2 months old! He's keeping us busy, that's for sure!
Rob and I have both gone back to work and we're getting a sort of schedule down with Benjamin.
He's smiling SO much these days, it's wonderful to have such a happy baby! There are only 3 reasons he ever cries- hungry, tired, or dirty. Ok sometimes he fusses when he'd rather be held but we don't mind holding him!

At his 2 month appointment he was weighed wearing clothes and his cloth diaper, but they put him at 13lbs 4oz, 23.5 inches long and a head circumfrence of 15". Our favorite nurse at Dr. Weidmann's office, Elizabeth, says she thinks Ben is going to be a big boy! We agree, and thought he would be bigger than he was at birth. I can't complain though, he is perfectly healthy and I had a fairly easy labor.

He slept in his crib in his room for the first time in November, the 26th.

Last week Benjamin had his first Thanksgiving. Rob had to work, so we went to my cousin Skye's house to visit with her, Nate, and Alistair. Other guests were in attendance as well. This past Saturday I made a roast duck for our own Thanksgiving for the first time. Next year will be fun, when Ben can have a little of the food, too!

This week he's been a bit under the weather, but he is such a trooper about it. Let's just say that salmonella is not something to mess with!

The weather is getting cooler and we're gearing up for Benjamin's first Christmas! This weekend we'll put up the tree and decorations. I think he'll like the lights, I know I do!

6 weeks and counting!

Our little boy is just over 6 weeks old and we are thrilled by him a little more each day!

His eyelashes are coming in fuller, his cries are a little louder, and his movements more controlled. He smiles and makes noises and is growing so much right before our eyes.

We've had some family come to visit him since he was born. When he was a week old my Dad came to visit and decided that he wants to be called "Pops". It was a good visit, short, but good. :)

Then in the middle of October, Rob's parents and brother came to visit. There was a bet made by Grampy to Rob that by the end of the week he would have Benjamin talking because his Dad (Rob) started talking early. Well, the week went by and no words were uttered by Benjamin so Grampy owed us a steak dinner!

It was his Grammy's first airplane ride to come visit, her first time using an ATM, and her first time having sushi! Grammy stayed another 2 weeks and retured home this week. We were very spoiled by her help and Benjamin was held a lot! I think he misses his Grammy, his 3rd favorite person!

We didn't dress him up for his first Halloween, but we had a few Halloween onesies that I put him in around Halloween.
We've used the Moby wrap a bunch of times to carry Benjamin to run errands, go shopping, and go to a few restaurants.

He's gotten very good at holding his head up and looking around. He'll even watch us move about the room. He loves looking at or out windows and smiles a lot! I think this week he smiled when he recognized our faces smiling at him.

We've had eventful diaper changes including but not limited to poo on the floor pee on clothes and in his own face! Thankfully though, he rarely spits up! It can take what seems like a long time to get a good burp out of him after eating though which can be frustrating for all of us. Sometimes I'm still surprised at how loud he burps! I've joked that he could compete with a beer bellied middle age man!

Our little ninja has outgrown much of his newborn sized clothes and had his first diaper rash a couple weeks ago. Thankfully it cleared up fast though.

The cloth diapering is going well. Better than we expected and after really looking at the prices of dispoable diapers and formula I am so glad we're not forking out that kind of money all the time!

Soon Benjamin will be 2 months old and be going to his check-up. I'll have more to catch up on then because it will also be his first Thanksgiving! We're going to The Adams' for Thanksgiving dinner.

I must say, we're all loving life right now.

Where has the time gone!?

The past 2 almost 3 weeks have been a complete blur! Whizzing past faster than Jeff Burton on a NASCAR race!
Benjamin has grown so much right before our eyes. I am so glad that both Rob and I have been able to stay home with him and watch our little miracle. It's also been a good time to adjust to life with a newborn. Some nights are better than others, but since we don't really have any time demands, we end up sleeping in past 10 or 11am and staying up until 12a. Our nights are really only interrupted 2 or 3 times, which we're slowly getting used to. Though, I'm not sure one ever really gets used to broken sleep, especially when it's because of a crying baby.

So far I've taken a picture of him every day since he was born, and I think you can really see how much he's changed. Well, I can at least.
This week we noticed that he's getting much better at holding his head up, following sounds with his eyes, and Rob even heard him giggling while he was changing his diaper!

We've both been peed on but Rob had the pleasure of experiencing projectile poo!
Breastfeeding is getting a bit easier, every time. I've been pumping since week one and at first Rob would feed him the expressed milk to give me a break here and there but today I started pumping to build a freezer stash for when I go back to work. Ugh. I don't even want to think about going back to work! November 1st will be my first day back, we really can't afford for me to stay out any longer.

Good news! We're using cloth diapers 95% of the time now, and it's working out well! So far, Rob's approved of the pre-folds and covers. That was after I had him watch some YouTube videos of how to fold them and put them on the baby! He's pretty much a pro now!

He's Here! The Birth Story

Welcome, Benjamin Robert Paradis!
   Born at 8:24pm on 9.24.10 weighing 7lbs 6oz and 20" long!
  We scheduled an induction for Friday morning since my contractions were slowly getting stronger but still irregular. I felt it was time for him to come. That morning I was excited until it was time to get in the shower and for some reason, I got really nervous. Talking about labor was one thing, but actually starting the day where I knew it was inevitable that it was happening was kind of scary.
  I couldn't eat much, and they advised me to keep it light, so I had a banana and off to the hospital we went. I got there and got all johnny'd up and tried my best to relax. Rob and I were both tired and nervous and a bit unsure of how the day was going to go. We only knew that at this point, we weren't leaving the hospital without a baby!
They started my IV, which wasn't easy or pain free. Then the inducing drugs to get my contractions regular and stronger.
  A few hours passed and they were getting pretty painful, so I asked for the IV pain killers which made me loopy and really tired. About an hour after I got that it started to wear off and they noticed my blood pressure was low so the nurse gave me a dose of ephedrine to get it back up. Well, she didn't tell me it would hurt so bad! It felt like fire through my veins going up my arm and through my shoulder!
  After a while they checked the progress and decided it was time to break the water which would get things moving along.  It was the weirdest feeling, to have so much warm fluid gushing out and there's nothing you can do about it!
  Then the IV pain meds had worn off enough that I asked for the epidural. Soon after the anesthesiologist came in and set up a little tray with who knows what. Needles make me queasy so I decided not to look. I sat up and leaned on Rob's shoulder and tried to breathe through the contractions that were strong and about 2 minutes apart, as best I could. The epidural didnt go flawlessly either, he numbed the spot which hurt, but not as bad as when inserting the catheter he did something wrong and I felt the worst shooting paing in my right hip, it was terrible. He fixed it and started the meds and I felt my lower body slowly go numb. The nurse and Rob had to turn me side to side every hour to even the numbness and everything else.

  Hours passed and with each check I was making some progress. I lost track of time but at some point in the evening my doctor came back to let me know that the baby wasn't handling the contractions very well. She said his heart rate was dropping after each contraction and that wasn't good. She let us know that if tings didnt change soon we could be looking at a c-section.
  Ugh, I really wanted to avoid that! They put me on oxygen and put a saline drip into my uterus to give the baby more cushion for the contractions.
20 minutes later the Dr was back saying that it hadn't really helped. I begged her for more time as she let us know that a c-section was very likely in our future. She said she would be back in 15 minutes and I took that time to breathe in the oxygen deeply, to rub my belly, and try to focus all my energy on our son.
  As time is going by I keep a closer eye on the clock, awaiting the dreaded news to come walking through the door one more time. 40 minutes passed and I could feel more pressure down low, I figured it was his head coming down, but didn't know if that was enough to keep us off the operating table. The Dr walks in to give us one last check... "10cms dilated, 100% effaced, and station +2, time to push!"
  That was the best news! I gave one click to my epidural, let Rob and the nurse position my limp legs. Then the nurse began coaching me on every contraction that I could feel to push with everything I had. I did, I think because of the epidural, the good news, and Rob's happy face it was relatively easy. I could feel the progress being made with no pain. The nurse told Rob and I that part of his head was visible. Rob looked at me as if he needed my permission to see, I told him to look, it was the only time he was going to see his first son born! Then the nurse told me that I was a pro at pushing and that I had to wait for the Dr to come in because she didn't feel like delivering our baby by herself! I tried my best to wait out the next contraction but as soon as the Doctor opened the door I told her I was going to push again! I did and felt a bit more progress. She quick got suited up, and sat down to go to work. I think I maybe pushed 3 more times and he was out! They said that the cord was wrapped around his neck... twice. That's why his heart rate would go down every time there was a contraction, it was smashing the cord! She unwrapped it and put him on my chest and got the clamps so Rob could cut the cord. It all happened so fast, all I can remember thinking was that he was so wet and warm and my husband was crying and smiling so much at the same time!
The nurse took Benjamin and Rob followed to watch him get cleaned up and I.D'd. I had to remind him to get the camera but he got a bunch of pictures, of things I couldn't see because I was still so numb!
  As I watched Rob and Benjamin across the room the Dr delivered the placenta. She told me that I barely tore, she called it more like an abrasion than a tear. She only put in 2 stitches to help it heal and said the stitches should dissolve in a week. It was quite a relief considering Benjamin's head was 12 3/4" in circumference!
  After he was cleaned and weighed and the bed was put back together they brought him to me so I could start feeding him. I wasn't 100% sure what to do, but he showed me the way, latching on like a pro! I couldn't believe it! I was so ready to have problems with feeding him, it seemed so weird that it happened naturally!
  We were up late that night, just staring in awe at our little prince, talking about what features were whose... not hard, he's 99% Rob's spitting image! We were texting and calling family and friends. We decided after a couple hours that we better try to get some rest while he was sleeping. Rob pulled out the bed in the room and got snuggled in, we put his bassinet between us so we could both see him and be close. Then just as we relax, Benjamin coughs and I saw something fly out. I got up to see, and to make sure he was okay and still breathing when I noticed 2 little jelly bean type things on his chest. I picked them up, showed Rob, quite bewildered and paged the nurse. By this time the day shift had come on and the nurse said she had never seen anything like it before, she took a glove and sort of smashed them with her fingers. She still couldn't figure it out so she brought it to the nursery to see if the pediatrician could tell what it was. We found out the next day that they didn't know so they sent it to the lab who couldn't figure it out either. The nurse came back to ask if I had implants. I kind of chuckled and told her absolutely not! We found 2 more "jelly beans" behind his shoulder soon after the nurse brought the others to the pediatrician. They sent those to a specialist who was to look at them on Monday.
  We were discharged on Sunday and had a Well-Baby" appointment for Monday afternoon. The doctor said Benjamin looked perfect and when we asked his opinion, (he used to be an Ob.) he said that the little things he coughed up were mucus plug and fairly common. I told him that I thought it was weird that no one at the hospital had known that and he chalked it up to inexperience. It made me feel better, and hopefully someone learned something. I am just SO grateful that he didn't choke on them and got them all out.
  Benjamin is now 4 days old, and just as sweet, perfect, and wonderful as we could imagine or ask for!

<3 Love you ninja!

The Final Countdown

6am is fast approaching!

 So I told Rob we needed a few last pics of my pregnancy.

Are We There Yet?

Yesterday was Rob's birthday. We totally thought all along that that was going to be the magical day, because how cool would it be for Rob to share a birthday with his son? Well, maybe our next baby will get that honor!
We had a doctors appointment in the morning, but I was up at 3am feeling quite miserable. I had indigestion, contractions, and heartburn. At our appointment I told the Dr how I was feeling and that I was pretty sure I had been having more than just the practice contractions, Braxton Hicks. She checked my progress and said that the good news is that I had progressed from 1cm last week to 2cm this week. She put me in a small dim room with a comfy chair to monitor my contractions. About a half hour later she came in to tell us that I was having contractions about 5-7mins apart and that she wanted me to head over to the hospital. She checked me again and said that I had progressed to almost 3cm right there in the office. I was excited but pretty nervous!
We went home, tried to grab a few things and then went to the hospital. There they monitored me for a few hours, and a different doctor came in to check my progress. Well, according to her there hadn't been any since I left the office and I should go home until my water breaks or the contractions get really bad. We were bummed.
Today I got up determined to do something. I had breakfast, got dressed and Rob and I went for a walk in the neighborhood with a friend that lives a few streets away. She was in a similar situation and offered some advice. On the way back I had a couple of sharp contractions and decided to try bouncing on my birthing ball. I did that for about a half hour and didn't really get anymore. Still irregular!
My Dr called this afternoon to let us know that she would be willing to induce us on Friday if we wanted to be in the hospital at 6am. We called her back to sign up!
I don't know what sort of switch happened but I have so much energy today, so much ambition to meet my son! I'm taking a little break now because it's raining outside but I plan to go for another walk in a little bit! I would really like to get this little guy kick started on my own, but at least I know if I don't, we will have a baby in our arms by the weekend!
I am SO unbelievably excited. I know it's going to hurt, I've known that for a long time but now, it just feels right. We love him so much and we are ready!

Progress Report

I forgot to update after our appointment on Monday!
It was a fairly quick one, but I do know that I've not made any progress as far as dilation and effacement goes from the last appointment 2 weeks before. Which overall, is fine, because I know it doesn't mean much.
So we're still sitting, well as of Monday, at 1cm dilated and 50% effaced. So I asked her about labor starting methods and she was happy to give the ole cervix a sweep. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but if it means getting some progress, it wasn't bad at all.
Today my manager said she noticed that my belly seems to be much lower than before, and honestly I've been feeling much more pressure- like a candle pin bowling ball between my legs, Haha!
A few people guessed that I'd go into labor today, but so far, nothing's happened.
Our next appointment is next Tuesday, Rob's birthday! How wonderful would it be if our little man decided to share his Daddy's birthday! I know Rob is so anxious for him to come soon, so any day is fine with us. Even though I would really like for him to be born in September.. Not October!

Ok there's the progression!

Dry Run!

I had planned to just hang out at home today, bum around and just relax.
Then this afternoon I noticed my undies were a little wetter than I had previously experienced, so I called the After Hours Nurse and she paged the on call Dr that wanted me to go down to the hospital to make sure my water didnt break.
So I woke up Rob who was pretty nervous, grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. Parked and walked all the way to L&D (they really should put that a little more convenient for preggos to get to!!) and got checked in. I put on the Johnnie, was hooked up to a blood pressure monitor, and 2 bands around my belly to monitor for contractions and for the baby's heart beat.
Then we signed a few papers and waited for the Dr to arrive.
And waited.
About 30 mins after we got there, the On Call Dr, Dr Hooi, showed to examine me. She said that she could see the extra discharge that I had noticed and ran a couple tests to see if it was in fact amniotic fluid. She also checked for any progress... none! We're still at 1cm and 50% effaced. Oh, and then the results, not amniotic fluid! She said that it's just my mucus plug dissolving and to keep an eye on it. If the volume of fluid increases we definitely need to come back.
Both the Dr and nurse commented that our boy was looking awesome and that we both looked great. That was nice to hear.
The Dr explained that while I didn't have any labor contractions there, my uterus wasn't exactly quiet.
Rob and I left about an hour after we arrived to head home.
I'm glad we went in- better safe than sorry! Now we know what to expect and the bags and carseat are already in the car!

Almost Full term!

My bag and the baby bag are almost done being packed! All that's left to throw in are the last minute items like the cell phone chargers and my camera.
Soon the car seat will be installed permanently.
I'm so aware of how big and strong my belly dweller has become in just the past few days, not to mention, months!
Now the question remains, when will it be time for us to meet our baby boy?!


This weekend has been full on nesting! Haha, I haven't cleaned the toaster with a toothbrush... yet. The floors, walls, and just about anything else I could think of was washed thoroughly. I even sterilized the breast pump, twice. I had Rob working his tush off too, moving the dresser in our room to make room for the bassinet, hanging new blinds in the nursery and kitchen, throwing stuff away, organizing his closet and building shelves. He was such a good sport about it too, I really appreciate it!

I've been bombarded with people asking if I'm ready for the pregnancy to be over with, if I'm miserable, or just plain anxious to "get him out". I guess that comes with the territory of telling people when you're due, but at the same time, they don't understand that I love being pregnant. I can totally see why people do it over and over. I will be happy to meet him, he's mine, inside and out.  I think many mothers know what I feel, this little miracle has been my sole responsibility for so long. The one amazing thing that your body has nurtured and endured for months. Its such a humbling and awesome experience. So many emotions packed into this event that it's unfathomable. Amazing, awesome, miraculous, and wonderful don't even begin to describe it.  <3

36! Almost...

This morning I woke up early, unable to sleep well last night. Rob laid in bed with me talking to my belly when all of a sudden our baby decided he would try to make more room by stretching out! He was pushing his feet on my right side, right into my ribs and thrusting his head into the left side of my pelvic bone and his back against Rob's hand on my belly! It was shocking, fast, and a little painful! We both rubbed my belly to get him to stop! Feeling that little foot through my flesh against my hand was so bizarre! After a few seconds he relaxed and all I could do was be amazed!
Today we had our 36 week appointment, a day before we're actually 36 weeks on the calendar. It was such a great appointment, even though it took so long!
We got there late, which was fine because I think the whole office was running about a half hour behind! The first thing we did was the ultrasound to see just how big our little man is. It was so great seeing him on the screen and while it wasn't in 3D like we were spoiled with before, we knew that this was for medical reasons. The whole time he had his hands in front of or in his mouth so we couldn't get a really good profile shot. It's okay though because I wanted to see everything. He's in the head-down position still, and looking great! He weighs about 6lbs 4oz now, with plenty of time to pack on more weight! My guess before the appointment was that he was closer to 7lbs. He had a good loud heartbeat of 137 bpm.

His little fist is the big bump on the left, just to the right of that is his little nose (where the arrow points)

After the ultrasound was over we went to the regular exam rooms, I got weighed.. my least favorite part of the whole appointment turned out not so bad, I'm holding steady at 20lbs gained this whole pregnancy which is really good, in my opinion! I also would like to say that the swelling is 90% gone- my feet look normal now! My blood pressure is normal, the nurse reassured me, but never did tell me the numbers. Dr Cherry did the Group B Strep test (of which I'll probably have the results in a few days) and then measured my belly, "36 weeks on the button" as she put it. Then she did the pelvic exam which wasn't bad at all. I kept hearing about how uncomfortable it was, but I didn't think so. Anyway, she said I'm 1cm dilated and 50% effaced, perfect for 36 weeks along.
I was so happy with this appointment! Unfortunately, with next week including a holiday I wasn't able to get in my regular weekly appointment that I should be starting at this stage. I think it should be fine though because we just live 5 mins away and I have the numbers handy if I should need anything in the mean time. The next appointment is in 2 weeks, and I'll be 38 weeks along then. I wonder what the progress will be!

35 and Craving

We're 35 weeks along today. I figured now would be a good time to recap the interesting things that I've encountered being pregnant thus far.

• Morning sickness wasn't as bad as I expected, but it was definitely there.
• Gaining weight was easy to avoid for the 1st and 2nd trimesters.
• People will comment on your body more than they ever have in your life.
• Your 9 months goes by in weeks, not months or seasons.
• Depending on when your due date is, there will be some comment on being pregnant through that season. For me it's been "oh pregnant in the summer, I feel bad for you" Fortunately, I don't think being pregnant in the heat of the Texas summer has been so bad, thanks to this new invention called air conditioning.
• Everyone wants to know what you're having, when, and what you're calling it. I now think some of this is amusing as I have no control over anything, but the last, and that seems to come with the most criticism.
• People are really opinionated and sometimes fearful of the notion of cloth diapering. That's funny to me because cloth diapering is older than they are!
• I've craved watermelon since the first trimester and ding dongs since the second trimester. Fruit has been my friend, encouraging me to try and fall in love with tangelos.
• I've still not had ice cream and pickles together
• I did ask Rob to get me oreos and milk at 3am a few days ago!
• Pickles make my mouth water.
• I do have to get up in the middle of the night to pee, sometimes too much in my opinion.
• The swelling comes and goes. Only a couple shoes still fit, and that's because I got them a size too big!
• I love feeling my son move around in my belly, and it's bittersweet that our closeness has to end soon.

Update!

We finished our birthing classes last week. They were okay, but I feel like Rob got more out of it than I did, and because of that I feel like it was worth it.

I did learn that a birthing ball can really help so I got one of those this week.
I've had a couple of times where the little ninja is showing me just how much room he'd like to have in there, resulting in what feels like a sharp foot or knee jabbed in my side, almost bringing tears to my eyes! It's worth it though, so worth it. I cannot wait to meet our little man!

Here's my 33 & 34 week shots:

32 Weeks

Yesterday I had my first "two week" appointment and it went great. I've had some swelling that hasn't gone away in almost a week, but she told me that it's normal and to just try to increase my water intake and get my feet up as much as possible. I told her that I noticed a little more pressure the beginning of last week so she checked me to make sure our ninja's "door" is closed tight, and it is, but she said she definitely felt his head right there! It was a good appointment and I'm feeling confident our passenger is going to stay put for at least another 7 weeks.
The heartburn has been visiting me at night and is definitely worse after eating something spicy!
I am so grateful for friends with pools! Floating around and feeling weightless for a while is so nice. I don't even realize my aches until after I get out and come back to gravity's full force!
Overall I think I've been very lucky during this pregnancy so far, I can see why people have more than one baby, it's so humbling and grounding. Just know that I am in no way going to try to match my great grandmother's family record of 27!

Here's Rob trying on the Baby Bjorn we got from my Dad. :) It was cute to see him in it!

Single Digits

Last week I hit 30 weeks pregnant. It's hard to believe that 30 weeks have passed with this life inside of me and with any luck, in less than 9 he will be in our arms making noises, messes, and trouble!
This past weekend my friend Rebecca helped me out with some great maternity pics. Rob joined in on a couple. Here are my favorites, but they can all be seen on my flickr.

   << Here's my 31 week shot!

Well we're off to our first Birthing Class! I'll update in the next post all about it! :)

Update: Ok so we're back from our first birthing class and at this point we feel like we could have just rented the video they put on for us to watch. Then of course when it came time for the breathing and relaxing I was so relaxed I couldn't stop giggling! Oops! At least next time we get a tour of L&D and the nursery.

Photo Update

So here are my 29 + 30 week photos!

Ok so I dont look entirely happy here but it was first thing this morning and as some of you may know, I'm not a morning person! I think I look a bit smaller in my 30wk shot, but I think that's the difference between morning and afternoon! I took another one on my lunch today and I can see the difference...

Shower Time!

Today my friends Jen and Krista threw me a baby shower. It was so great! They thought of everything from decorations, to games, to the fab cake! I had told them I had a frog theme and they seriously went all out!
I got so much stuff, I couldn't begin to tell all what it is, my mind hasn't wrapped around it! I do have pictures and a list (thanks to Jen)!
Baby Shower Pics
Thank you so much to everyone who made is possible, participated, and showered our family with love. It was so much fun!

3D Ultrasound!

Here's the video!




And here are some pictures from the ultrasound:

Belly Update

I hadn't updated the belly shot in a while, but I thought I'd do that today.
Tomorrow we're going to our 3D ultrasound appointment and I am beyond excited to see our son's features! I wonder if he has Rob's mouth or my nose... Oh we will see! :)

Rob took this one (28 weeks)

Making a Ruckus in There

Friday I was sitting at the computer chatting with Rob and our little man was having a dance party!

Medical Update & Shower News

So I called the Dr's office this morning to see what my results were and I got mostly thumbs up!
I passed the glucose test, so no diabetes for me, and no more needles for now!
She did say that my iron levels are looking low so I have to get an iron supplement for that, but it shouldn't be a big deal. I kind of always had an inkling that I had a slight anemia, but I dont think it's constant. Oh well, I'll take that over diabetes any day!
We got the mail this weekend and in it was my copy of my baby shower invitation! I was so excited to see it, and I think it looks wonderful. Thanks so much to Krista and Jen for putting this together guys, I know it will be amazing! :)

End of the 2nd Trimester!

I noticed today that 27 weeks starts the 3rd trimester! How can time be going this fast?!
We had our monthly doctors appointment yesterday and everything is fine. We're still measuring a few days ahead of schedule, but I've come to terms with the fact that we're going to have a big boy come September!

I took the hour long glucose test, but I won't know if I passed or failed until Monday. I'm hoping I passed mainly because If I didn't it means I get to had blood drawn 3 times, once an hour for 3 hours! I already have another bruise from when they took blood yesterday, so I don't know what my arm would look like with 3 more stabs!
Oh, and I'm happy to report that (and I hope this doesn't jinx it) I've kept my weight gain under control so far, only gaining 9lbs this whole pregnancy. :)

On Wednesday Rob got a package from his parents that had his old mobile and a rope with blocks that spell his name. He got all nostalgic and swept up in the moment. We dont know what we'll do with them just yet, but we'll find a place. :)

Here's my 26 week picture!